New York City Theatre Internships

13th Street Repertory Co. & Merit Theater and Film Group have partnered to offer internship programs year-round to students, including special needs students, and young adults from all over the world.

Internships for school credit are welcomed and encouraged.

Conducted in a fun, exciting environment, the main focus of the Student Internship Program is to empower youth on a professional and personal level. We take pride in the fact that we provide many opportunities to activate and enhance leadership skills that will transfer to all areas of life. We understand the value of working within a professional environment versus working within the structure of a school setting. We provide a caring, nurturing, professional environment in which young people can flourish, test the waters, and, if they fall, brush themselves off and either start again or move on to something new.

Our largest concentration of interns (between 30-40) arrive in the summer to attend our Student Internship Program at our theatre located in Greenwich Village. Most interns start arriving around mid-May and stay through the end of August.

We are different from most theater companies because we provide a varying program that is constantly being added to. We encourage students to get involved in anything they would like to explore, whether or not they have related experience. All they need do is speak with their MTF Advisor about what they would like to do here. We tailor internships to the needs and interests of the applicant.

Comments from Past Interns

"This internship has taught me so much about theatre and about myself; about art and about people. Overall it was an unforgettable experience." Alison Blumenfeld

"Thank you for everything I've learned from you Sandra, Edith, and the other interns. The support system and vibrant atmosphere is inspiring and rare in this city. The playwriting workshops really helped me develop as a writer. I learned invaluable lessons I will remember the rest of the my life."Kathryn Shapiro

"This internship has helped me be less controlling and more open to others' ideas and efforts. What makes this internship unique from others is the level of autonomy and creative opportunities. It is very hands on. You're given a lot of responsibility and expected to follow-through, but at the same time, you're given a lot of creative license to explore. There are many group-oriented projects and workshops but again, each intern is allowed to express themselves as individual artists." Sabrina Lloyd

"I received a great deal of mentorship from Ms. Nordgren, the staff of 13th Street Repertory Company, and many of the other 32 interns involved in her Internship Program. This mentorship was invaluable to me. Participating in Sandra Nordgren's internship genuinely changed my life." Joy Shatz"Sandra thank you for showing me what is possible for a professional woman. You are a model to me of how to translate ones values into meaningful community building and mentorship. Given the emphasis on corporate culture and unbridled individualism at my school, I so appreciate the chance I had to witness you in action."Celia Petter

Time Commitment

We do our best to keep internships flexible enough to meet the varied schedules of our interns, but there are several times when all interns are required to be present:

Tuesday 6pm–9pm: Director’s Meeting (includes observing auditions for new rep members, participating and observing in discussions regarding present and future productions, and discussions related to the administration of running a repertory company)

This does not include the hours required to successfully participate in projects such as the short play festival and other shows and projects in which interns become involved. Internship hour-requirements vary between 10 and 40 hours weekly, though typical internship hours are 20+ weekly.

Duties & Requirements

All interns will create and assistant produce a short play festival from scripts written by the literary interns. The scripts will be developed in workshops headed by Sandra Nordgren with all interns giving feedback. The interns will do everything required to produce a successful festival including writing, acting, directing, producing, stage managing, lighting and sound design, costuming, set design, running lights and sound, publicity, marketing, audience development, poster design-graphic-and generation, program design and generation, etc.

Internships may be in one area or several may be combined.

Acting

Must audition for readings and, if cast, perform in them

Must audition for both children’s shows and, if cast, perform in them

Must audition for any show at the rep, and, if cast, perform in that show

Directing

Must direct a reading, if asked

Must assist or direct a children’s show, or assist other directors on their projects

May assist directing other plays including "LINE," the longest running play in New York

Literary

Full Time: must evaluate approximately 9 scripts weekly *

Part Time: must evaluate between 3 – 6 scripts weekly *

Must participate in some aspect of the literary management of scripts

Will write a well-edited 10-15 minute play and send it to Sandra Nordgren prior to starting the internship. This play will go into workshop development and has a strong potential to become part of ourShort Play Festival.

*Script evaluations require approximately 2 ½ hrs per script

Stage Management

Depending on the needs of the director, the intern may assist in the casting, creating a "blocking script", being on book, and taking director's notes

Responsible for all administrative duties which will include informing cast members of their rehearsal schedules, creating and maintaining tech scripts, etc.

Mainstage rehearsals are usually at night from 6-9 or 7-10, requiring 2-4 nights per week. Weekend day rehearsals are also possible.

Among other duties, intern will learn the lights and sound for the show, train technicians, oversee props, costumes, setting up and breaking down the set.

Will oversee that the dressing room, theater and light booth are cleaned up after the show.

Technicians and Production Assistants

Will be available for rehearsals and every performance unless another schedule is agreed upon with the director.

Lighting and Sound Technicians will keep a written cue record with a copy of the script, in the light booth as well as with the Stage Manager.

Production Assistants will maintain prop and set lists.

Production Assistants will put away any costumes, props or set pieces not put away by the actors.

Marketing

Requires a major in marketing, having fulfilled at least half of marketing curriculum.

Must be a self-starter, detail-oriented, and possess creative and critical thinking skills.

Must have enough understanding of marketing strategies to present an effective marketing plan while taking into account the monetary limitations of our theatre. This plan will increase ticket sales and foster increased awareness of the creative work and presence of our theatre throughout the theatre-going community.

Must provide samples of marketing campaigns they worked on with related references.

Some of our Interns from 2004

Miscellaneous Information

Interns are required to have internet access since scheduling and notices will often be done through email. Our internships are non-paying. We cannot provide accommodations. However, we might be able to assist you with finding a place to stay.

The Best First Contact is by Email. Send a brief Email to the Producing Artistic Director at ThirteenSt@aol.com Convey what your interests specifically are and your background in these disciplines, if any. Please do not send attachments as they will not be opened.

Please review our website for more information about the repertory company.

About the Directors

SANDRA NORDGREN, Producing Artistic Director/Literary Manager developed this Internship Program in 2003, and has recruited and supervised over 400 interns through all phases of the Internship Program. Sandra has been involved in both theatre and film production since 1980. She was Corporate Comptroller for major film editing and production companies and Production Auditor for CBS-TV's "Pee-wee's Playhouse" as well as TV specials and pilots shown on CBS-TV, ABC-TV, NBC-TV, HBO, and Showtime. Her New Works of Merit Playwriting Contest (a project of Merit Theater and Film Group, Inc. - the literary non-profit she founded) is an international contest seeking socially conscious scripts that not only entertain, but promote new awareness. 18 final round scripts had readings at TSRC from which four poignant scripts were produced: "Conversation with a Kleagle", "Ruby’s Story", "A Human Shield" and "Cry Wolf!" Sandra has produced well over 80 plays, 175 readings, 6 short play festivals, and 12 script development workshops, all by new American playwrights. Having studied creative writing at NYC's New School University and New York University, she has written several screenplays and is currently writing a non-fiction screenplay dealing with spirituality and the holocaust. Among other theatrical plays, Sandra co-wrote a full-length play in quadrameter, entitled "Old Witch Blinda on Smeltzburg Hill" which is in workshop development. Her play "The Flower" was part of the Vision and Voices Short Play Festival in NYC. "The Ice Cream Man Cometh ... Profit or Madman, You Decide", which she co-wrote with Bruce Adams, Steve Prutting, and Chris Johnson, has had two productions at the rep and will have a third in September. Her adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" has had 11 productions in NYC and numerous productions around the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The play is published in the U.S. by Brooklyn Publishers in Odessa TX, and has been translated into French by French playwright Christian Palustran and into German by German playwright Christian Michalak. It has been performed in Switzerland at the Atelier-Theatre, "Les compagnons du Coteau" in Paris-France, in Lyon-France and in Belgium. Review from NYTheatre.com: “There are only two versions of A Christmas Carol that are a must-see: the production at Madison Square Garden and Sandra Nordgren’s adaptation!” In 2010, Sandra wrote a radio-play adaptation of A Christmas Carol. The workshop development production of the radio-play was aired 24 times on Christmas Day on GrayceNYCRadio.com.In 1981, Sandra co-founded the Classical Theatre Ensemble, which produced classical theatre at NYC historical landmarks, most notable being the 500-year-old medieval morality play Everyman, produced in the knave of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.In the spirit of service, she was an active member of the Volunteer Organizations Against Disaster Task Forces for Spirituality and Mental Health to help those affected by the World Trade Center tragedy. Sandra is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the New York Coalition of Professional Women in the Arts & Media, New York Women in Theatre and Film, and the League of Professional Theatre Women.

JUNE RACHELSON-OSPA, Musical Supervisor, is a playwright, lyricist, book writer and producer. June and her then seven-year-old son Jonathan co-wrote a musical called Welcome to Tourettaville about Tourette syndrome. Jon was diagnosed with TS at age five. Welcome to Tourettaville won the Very Special Arts Playwright Discovery Award and was performed for Congress at the Kennedy Center in DC. June has many years experience mentoring special needs children through YMCA Afterschool Programs, as Academy Director at AMAS Musical Theatre, and with the National Tourette Syndrome Association. Using musical theatre programs as the vehicle, June has successfully mentored youth with Tourette Syndrome, Aspergers Syndrome, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. AS PRODUCER: Orphan Train (York Theatre), Oh Rats (Vexler Theatre-San Antonio), ACE Cabaret-Eugene Oregon, Guardian Angel (La Mama-NYC), Adding Machine: TRU (Musical Reading Series-NYC), No More Waiting (NYC Duplex in 2005), Meester Amerika 2006, TRU (Musical Reading Series-St.Luke's Theater 2007). AS LYRICIST: Gone to Texas (Globe Winner in San Antonio), S.W.A.K! (Producer's Club), Welcome to Tourettaville: Grammy winner Dr. John recorded song from Tourettaville, Best Ensemble Award at Neurofest in 2005. June's son Jacob is animating T-Ville for 2010 release. Stellaluna ( MGM released July 20, 2004). Triangle (Players Theatre NYC,2009), Some Things Get Better with Age (showcased at 13th StreetRep in NYC), Rapunzarella White (Producers Club in NYC, San Antonio, Woodlawn Theatre, November 28, 2009 at the Bergen County Players NJ). Bollywood and Vine based on the movie Ship of Dreams and Swamp Stompin'’ 2009 from New Orleans, Music for Children 3 to 103. Another Dude's Slingback's The Musical,2010. June is a member of the League of Professional Theater Women, Dramatist Guild, ASCAP, TRU Board member (A Producing Organization.)